Acceptance
by Maryilee
Summary: A scene from: I Think We Should Have Sex.


Author's note: This is a bit different for me in that I used an actual scene from the show and added some bits to it. I left the original dialogue and actions as they appeared in the show. I just tried to fill in some spots, so this is not entirely original fanfiction (and if that isn't an oxymoron, I dont' know what is!). I hope you will enjoy it. This was written for the Ultimate Fan Fiction Day originating at televisionwithoutpity Friday Night Lights Forum.

Comments welcome.

Spoilers: S1/E17--"I Think We Should Have Sex"

* * *

"Why don't you find out where our daughter is," Eric ground out before turning down the hallway to the bathroom. He slammed the door and leaned back against it. How could Julie do this to them? He wasn't sure what upset him more, Julie's lie about where she was, or the idea what she might be doing at this very moment. 

Eric swallowed hard and pushed _that _thought out of his mind. He shoved away from the door and began rummaging through the medicine cabinet again_. Damn it! Where in the hell was the aspirin? _He ground the heel of his hand against his brow. The encounter with Walt Riggins had already given him a headache and coming home to find out that Julie was out doing only God knew what with Matt Saracen had escalated the pain to migraine level.

Closing his eyes, he braced a hand on either side of the basin and took a deep breath, letting in out slowly. He always knew this day would come, he just didn't expect it so soon. It seemed like only yesterday he had strolled through the state fair with Julie perched on his shoulders while she devoured a big swirl of cotton candy. Her sticky little hand would descend to offer him a taste of the sweet pink confection and he'd pretend to take a bite of her fingers, making her squeal with horrified delight.

Eric smiled at the memory. It was just one of thousands he carried. Julie's first steps and how her bald head looked way too big for her tiny body. He used to joke that the reason he would wait so long to change her diapers was because Julie needed the counter weight to balance her. Of course, Tami never bought that excuse and would just roll her eyes at him. A vision of Julie in pigtails and missing front teeth, beaming at him from the stage during her second grade Christmas pageant popped into his head. Eric lowered his head, overcome at the sweet innocence of the scene. He wanted those days back.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Eric?" A pause and then, "I found the aspirin."

Eric opened the door and took the bottle from Tami, mumbling, "Thanks," as he brushed by her to the kitchen. He downed a couple of tablets with a glass of water, swiping his hand across his mouth afterwards.

"Why don't we sit and eat, hon? Before it gets cold."

He glanced over his shoulder, noting the plates setting on the counter. "No, thanks. I'm not hungry. You go ahead though."

It wasn't his intention to sound cold, but his fears for Julie and anger that Tami hadn't confided in him earlier still controlled his emotions. Eric eyes flicked to Tami's face and the look of hurt that flashed across her features cut him to the quick, and the first twinges of guilt poked at his conscience. But what did she expect? She had gone behind his back and hidden this incident. How would she feel if he had done the same to her? Weren't they in this together? Weren't they supposed to _share_ this kind of information? Parenting was teamwork and he felt betrayed by the person he trusted the most. What had she said? That she didn't tell him because she thought he'd freak out? Yeah, well, maybe he had, but he had good reason for his little freak fest.

Eric moved to the dining room table and sat heavily, hoping the aspirin would kick in soon. He grimaced when he heard the rattle and clink of dishes in the kitchen as Tami cleaned up the uneaten dinner. By the sound of it, they might not have any dishes left when she was done.

The strained silence continued as Tami finished up and joined him at the table. He knew she wanted to talk, but he had nothing to say—at least, nothing that he wouldn't regret later. He drummed his fingers on the table, wondering where Julie was, wondering if she was okay. If Matt Saracen hurt her…Eric's jaw clenched and he imagined all the ways different ways he could hurt the boy--beginning with castration.

Eric finally broke the silence. "What time is it?"

He almost flinched when Tami flung his watch at him, the harsh scrape of the metal on the table like nails on a chalkboard.

"You know you and I have the exact same amount of experience being parents. We've been doing this job the same number of years and months and days as each other. And the truth of it, is we just don't have any control. You know, for most part, we're just winging it. And I'm…I don't…I don't know what to do in this situation."

Eric looked at her briefly before averting his gaze, his mouth hard. He understood that she didn't know what to do, all the more reason to discuss it with him. Maybe together they could have avoided this situation.

" But I'll tell you what, the most important thing to me is that my daughter be able to talk to me. A girl is _entitled_ to that with her mother." Tami's voice cracked slightly. "My mother used to tell me I was going to go to hell if a guy ever even touched me and you know that didn't work and I'm sure as hell not going to do that to Julie."

Eric thought of Tami's mother. The cold, angry woman had a special hatred for men. Men were agents of the devil; looking to buy the souls of young women using sex as their currency.

One time she had caught Eric and Tami making out in his car and had dragged her daughter out of the vehicle and marched her into the house. Later, Eric found out that the evil woman had forced her daughter to her kneel beside the bed for hours praying for God's forgiveness. It was no wonder Tami had resorted to sneaking around and as soon as she graduated from high school, she had left for college and never returned home. He had often wondered how such a warm, loving woman like Tami had come from such a miserable mother.

Tami tilted her head, her voice thoughtful. "And we raised a smart, responsible…moral girl and I have faith in us…and I have faith in _her_."

Eric blinked hard. "Yeah." His voice was barely audible and he swallowed, the sudden surge of emotion threatening to overcome him. His little girl had grown up, and no matter how much he might try to deny the reality, it was happening. It _had_ happened.

"…an' we've just got to let her go." Tami's eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

He saw the truth in Tami's eyes and all of his earlier anger at her evaporated. It wasn't her fault. The only crime she had committed was to see the truth first.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Tami smiled her forgiveness and reached across the table, taking his hand.


End file.
